Mother-daughter duo creates quilted goods brand with a purpose
Ellie & Shell launched online with a bang. On opening day, they sold 24 products and even sold out of some styles.
In the first week of March, Ellie & Shell, a quilted products company, officially launched its online storefront. The company sold two of its primary products – the “bookie” and the “boxie.”
The creative minds behind the quilted brand are a mother-and-daughter duo: Charlotte and Toni Colling.
Charlotte is a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), and might just be one of the busiest students on campus. She’s a member of the Leadership Knoxville Scholars Program, a Jones Center for Leadership and Service Ambassador, a Haslam Venture Peer Mentor, and formerly served on the Executive Council for her sorority, Pi Beta Phi.
“My Google Calendar is chaotic, but it keeps me going. I love to be involved and an active contributor to my community,” she said.
Despite everything on her plate, Charlotte decided to add one more commitment: starting a business.
In August 2023, Charlotte and Toni began brainstorming. Toni has been an avid quilter for decades, both as a hobby and a passion. Charlotte, meanwhile, had been studying Marketing and Business Management in the Haslam College of Business. Together, they wanted to combine their strengths to build something meaningful—and Ellie & Shell was born.
“There is no time but the present, and so we started planning out the business. And I remember my professor, Dr. Shawn Carson, saying that it’s best to start by using the skills and resources that you have,” Charlotte said.
Charlotte brought the business savvy side and Toni brought production expertise. It was a natural fit.
But from the very beginning, they wanted Ellie & Shell to be more than just a business. Charlotte and Toni decided that $5 from every bookie sold would go toward supporting children’s literacy.
“My mom taught me from a young age that working hard and being generous will get you very far,” Charlotte said. “That’s really why I wanted philanthropy to be a core part of our business. We don’t just want to make money—we want to make an impact.”
Eight months after their initial conversation, Ellie & Shell launched online with a bang. On opening day, they sold 24 products and even sold out of some styles. Their success came entirely through a personal website—not an Etsy storefront—so Charlotte had to put her marketing knowledge to work.
Just a week before the launch, Charlotte pitched Ellie & Shell in the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s Vol Court Business Idea Competition. She earned third place and took home $500 to help fuel their launch.
Charlotte graduates from UTK in May and plans to stay in Knoxville until mid-July. After that, she’ll head back home to Iowa to focus on Ellie & Shell full-time.
“It’s going to be a major shift for me, but I think it’s going to be a really positive one. I’m so thankful for UTK and everything I’ve learned here,” she said.
To stay up to date with everything happening with Ellie & Shell, visit the website.
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